The present invention relates to a connector comprising a male connector element having a rectangular fitting surface and a female connector element fitted over the male connector.
FIG. 1 of the attached drawings shows a connector 1 which is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. SHO 61-26280. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 comprises a male connector element 3 having a rectangular fitting surface 9a and a female connector element 7 having a fitting hood section 5 which is fitted over the male connector element 3.
The male connector element 3 is formed with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 11, within a connector body 9 which is formed with the rectangular fitting surface 9a. A plurality of female terminal parts (not shown), which are connected in caulking respectively to ends of wires 12, are accommodated or received respectively in the terminal accommodating chambers 11.
On the other hand, the female connector element 7 is formed with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 17 within a housing section 15 which is formed in integral relation to the fitting hood section 5. A plurality of male terminal parts 19, which are connected in caulking respectively to the ends of the wires 12, are accommodated respectively in the terminal accommodating chambers 17. The male terminal parts 19 have respective forward ends thereof which project into the fitting hood section 5.
In order to fit the male connector element 3 arranged as described above, into the fitting hood section 5 of the female connector element 7, the connector body 9 is positioned such that the connector body 9 is under a straight or facing condition with respect to the fitting hood section 5 and, subsequently, one of the male connector element 3 and the female connector element 7 moves toward the other and are urged toward the other in such a direction that they approach each other. By doing so, the connector body 9 of the male connector element 3 is fitted in the fitting hood section 5 of the female connector element 7, and the male terminal parts 19 projecting into the fitting hood section 5 are inserted respectively into female terminal parts (not shown) which are accommodated respectively within the terminal accommodating chambers 11 in the connector body 9, so that the male and female connector elements 3 and 7 are electrically connected to each other.
As shown in FIG. 2, however, when the connector body 9 is inserted into the fitting hood section 5, there is a case where the connector body 9 is inserted under an inclined condition with respect to the fitting hood section 5.
In this case, the connector body 9 inclined with respect to the fitting hood section 5 is so-called prized or wrenched whereby an attempt is made to insert the connector body 9 into the fitting hood section 5 by force or unreasonably. For this reason, it may often occur that the male terminal parts 19 in contact with corners 21 of the connector body 9 are deformed and broken.